Life of a Kitchen Boy
by thinewordnerd
Summary: Dimitri is an orphan and has recently become a kitchen boy at the royal palace. A prequel to the animated movie.
1. Chapter 1

Dimitri was only a baby when he was put in a Grigorev's All Boy Orphanage. His mother gave no reason for the abandonment. She simply gave Grigorev the baby and left. Later, when Dimitri would ask about her, Grigorev recalled that she seemed very down on her luck.

"She didn't tell you anything?" a six-year-old Dimitri asked. Grigorev, a hard, strict man had no use for sentimentalities. He was never particularly loved nor did he particularly love his boys but he was never cruel.

"She told me that your name was Dimitri and then she thanked me for taking you in. Nothing more" he said to the six-year-old, putting his smoking pipe back into his mouth and looking at the lit fireplace, sitting in the only comfortable piece of furniture in the orphanage. Dimitri looked away from his guardian and stared into the fire as well, tears piercing his eyes but refusing to fall.

Grigorev was from a military background and he ran his orphanage like a boot camp. Every morning he would wake the boys at six a.m. by banging a metal spoon to a pan. When they had awakened, every boy had to make their bed perfectly, and then to the showers which were always freezing and never pleasant. After getting dressed the boys would make and serve breakfast, their shifts alternating every day. Breakfast was always a bleak oatmeal-like substance and on good days, sometimes Grigorev would buy the boys apples. Apple days were more anticipated than Christmas to the ten boys and were about as rare. Christmas was a holiday that was never observed.

After breakfast the boys had to complete all of their chores. The boys had to scrub and clean every bit of the orphanage. All the dishes, the floors, the bathrooms, everything had to be spotless. Grigorev was not a man to tolerate any kind of filthiness.

When the chores were done they were permitted to play. If the sun was still up, the boys would play tag or any other games that required no equipment. If it was too late to go outside, Dimitri would read a book on Grigorev's shelf. Grigorev valued education and made sure that each boy could at least read and write. Though Dimitri could be rebellious at times, he was a fast learner and very capable at all tasks handed to him.

That's why, when the palace butler came looking for a kitchen boy, Grigorev suggested Dimitri. Grigorev called Dimitri into the sitting room where the butler examined every inch of him. Dimitri, now nine, did not like the invasion of privacy but knew better than to be disrespectful to someone who worked at the palace. The butler, liking what he saw, shook Grigorev's hand and said that he would pick the boy up in the morning.

Dimitri found it hard to sleep that night. Part of him was excited. Working at the palace probably meant apples every day! He'd probably get a bed that didn't have springs popping out of it and who knows, he may even get to meet someone from the royal family. On the other hand, he was terrified. He was leaving everything he knew, albeit he wasn't too attached to it but still, this was his home. Also, what if he screwed something up? Would the Czar put him in jail? Or worse, executed him? He pulled his thin blanket over his head and told himself he was letting his imagination get the better of him.

Dimitri got out of bed the next day at five-thirty a.m. and performed his normal morning tasks. Grigorev found him in the kitchen, about to make breakfast.

"No boy, I'll have another boy do that. You need to pack, the palace butler should be here in an hour" Grigorev said. Dimitri nodded and headed to his bed but stopped at the door. Grigorev noticed the hesitation.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked. Dimitri turned to him with his head hung low.

"I'm scared" he uttered. An uneasy silence fell upon the two. Grigorev sighed and walked over to the boy. He put his on Dimitri's should and Dimitri looked up at him.

"It is an honor to serve you country and your Czar, Dimitri. You must be brave in order to serve your country"

Dimitri swallowed, nodded and ran to his bed. He packed his few belongings in the small suitcase the palace butler donated to him. As he clamped the suitcase down he heard the door bell ring. His stomach fell but he picked up his suitcase and headed to the front door.

Grigorev had already opened the door and let the man in when Dimitri entered the foyer.

"Ah. Dimitri. Are you ready, my boy?" the man asked.

"Yes"

"Yes _sir_, Dimitri" the man said.

"Yes sir"

"Alright then, shall we leave?" he asked. Dimitri nodded and looked to Grigorev who put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Good luck" he said.

"Thanks" Dimitri replied. With one last look at the orphanage, he followed the man out the door and into the carriage that would take him to his new life.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN**: Obviously, I own nothing and thank you to anyone who's been reading.

Dimitri leaned out the window of his carriage to get a better look at the approaching palace, his new home.

"Dimitri, get down this instance" said Ivan, the man who had picked Dimitri up from the orphanage. Ivan was the head butler at the palace and (like Grigorev) he liked things to be orderly. Ivan was nowhere near as intimidating as Grigorev and he lacked the commanding quality that demanded to be obeyed. Dimitri smelled weakness and knew he would never be able to follow his orders like he followed Grigorev's. Dimitri continued to lean out the window.

When they got to the palace, the unadorned carriage took them to the servants' quarters in the back. Dimitri, still enthralled by the splendor of the palace, looked up at the beautiful spires and windows.

"Come on in boy, we haven't got all day" Ivan said, as he held open the door to the kitchens. Dimitri walked in and was stunned by the grandeur of the kitchen. There was enough food to feed the orphanage for two years. There were glimmering silver countertops and dozens of silver pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. Dimitri gaped.

"Stop gawking, I'm going to introduce you to the head Chef" Ivan led the way to a short man cutting carrots on the counter.

"Danil, this is the new kitchen boy, Dimitri" Ivan said. Danil turned to Ivan and looked down at Dimitri.

"Ah! He looks nice and strong. He will do" Danil said in his very thick, Russian accent.

"Glad you approve Danil. Alright Dimitril, Danil will be your boss, listen to every command he gives you, understand?"

"Yes sir" Dimitri replied. Danil stopped chopping his carrots and addressed Ivan.

"You can leave him here Ivan, I will show him his duties and his quarters" he said.

"Very well, be good for Danil, Dimitri" Ivan said. He patted Dimitri on the head and headed to serve on the royal family.

"Alright boy, let me show you what needs to be done" said Danil.

And boy was there a lot to be done. Dimitri had to wash the floors, clean the dishes, carry the food from stock, chop carrots, and do whatever the chefs told him, all while never being seen by the royal family or their royal guests. Dimitri was starting to resent them. Was he not good enough to even be acknowledged by them? Were they really so great?

Danil showed him to his room, which was located by the kitchens and was the last room down the hall. Dimitri shared the room with two other servers. Danil confided that if he was good, he may one day become a server, a much more prestigious job than a mere "kitchen boy".

Just like that, his old life was over. He already started to miss it. His new job would be much harder than the chores at the orphanage.

Dimitri spent the next several months working and getting to know the palace. The older server boys showed him the secret doors and passage ways made so that the servants could easily serve the royal family. On his time off, Dimitri loved to go through all of the hidden doors and perhaps eavesdrop on royal conversations.

For the first month or two, Dimitri was afraid to go anywhere near the royal family. It was one thing to spy on a young butler and his forbidden maid girlfriend but quite another to intrude on the affairs of the Czar's family.

Dimitri, now ten, soon abandoned his "stay away from the family" policy when he went through a hidden door he had never been through before on the west wing of the second floor. He opened the door to see a small unaware girl, playing with her doll house alone. Dimitri knew at once she was royalty. Her elegant clothing and extravagant room would have been enough to tip him off but it was her red hair, her gorgeous blue eyes and her pretty face that convinced him. Dimitri hadn't seen a lot of girls his own age before, growing up in an all-boys orphanage, but he knew normal girls didn't look like that.

Dimitri felt his cheeks get warm. He had never had this feeling before and didn't know what to make of it. His infatuation had rendered his normal invisibility useless and the little girl noticed him. She immediately perked up from her play spot and headed to the door Dimitri was poking his head out of. Dimitri remained frozen as she floated over to him, remaining still as panic washed over him.

"Hey! Do you have my pudding?" the little girl asked. Dimitri's face lost all color as he seemed to forget how to speak. She was looking straight into his dull, commoner brown eyes with her majestic, regal blue ones. He willed himself to speak.

"Oh-uh-I-no, I don't have any pudding…your highness" Dimitri said. The girl pouted.

"Aww, Sasha said she would get me pudding. Will you get it for me? You're a kitchen boy right?" she asked. Dimitri nodded vigorously.

"Well I'm the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia! So please fetch me pudding, kitchen boy!" she demanded. At least she said please. Dimitri didn't think anyone had ever said "please" to him before.

"Y-yes, your highness! Right away!" he said and ran back down to the kitchens. How was he going to get her pudding? He wasn't allowed to speak to the royalty but he had to follow her orders. He could just tell a maid and ask them to take the pudding to her but if he did that…that would mean _he_ couldn't give it to her and he wouldn't get her thanks. He had to do it himself.

Dimitri crept into the kitchen. It was the afternoon so everyone was busy with making lunch, which was something he should have been helping with. Dimitri grabbed a nearby broom and began half-heartedly cleaning the floor, making a b-line for the ice box with the puddings inside. He reached the box and slipped his hand inside, finding a metal chalice with chocolate pudding in it. Dimitri hid it under his shirt while still sweeping. On his way back towards the hall he made sure to grab a little spoon from the silver drawer. He was nearly to the safety of the hall when he was spotted.

"Dimitri!"

Dimitri stopped and gulped. He turned his head behind him to see a peeved looking Danil.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Danil asked. Dimitri tried to think fast.

"I-uh I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back" he said.

"Are you hiding something under your shirt?" asked Danil. Dimitri's heart raced.

"No, I- my stomach feels weird," Dimitri clutched his stomach, "Uggggggh! I feel sick I need to go to the bathroom! I think I'm gonna-"

"For heaven's sake, boy! Just go!" Danil said, disgusted. Danil went back to preparing lunch and Dimitri ran as fast he could back to Anastasia's room.

"Geez, you took forever" she said as he came through the door, panting.

"S-sorry. I came back as soon as I could" he said, terrified he had disappointed her. He handed her the pudding and spoon. As she took them her hand lightly grazed his. The touch burned his hand.

"Oh well, thank you though," she said, looking into his brown eyes again, "Oh! You know you have pretty eyes, for a boy anyway"

Dimitri felt his face turn red as she turned away from him to get back to her dolls and pudding. She had no idea the spell she had just cast upon him. Dimitri closed the door behind him and leaned on it. He smiled to himself. No one had ever complimented him before. Well, people had said he seemed healthy and strong but it was like evaluating a horse. This was human and real and genuine. Still not understanding his feelings completely, he touched his face and wondered why it was hot.

After the pudding incident, Dimiti did whatever he could to see the Princess Anastasia. He would sneak into the dining hall to watch the royals eat their meals. Sometimes Ivan would get him in trouble but Dimitri didn't care. Anastasia was the one bright thing in his lightless life. He would not stop trying to see her. He never approached her again though, for fear of saying something stupid.

Dimitri had to stop his escapades around the castle though, as the 300th celebration of Romanov rule was quickly approaching. This was to be the grandest dinner preparation any of the cooks or servers had ever seen and it was impertinent that everyone was helping at all times. Dimitri was being worked to the bone but he got through the work by promising himself he would talk to Anastasia again after the celebration, regardless of his fears. He wanted nothing more than to be her friend.

**AN: **Oh boy, this is taking longer than expected. There's one, possibly two chapters left. 


End file.
